Top for vehicles and the like



May 17 1927.

F. K. LEWIS .ET AL TOP FOR VEHICLES AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 2. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 INVENTORJ' Fad f a As a/w/ y Char/:5 Ki. AME/2 ATTORNEYS May 17, 1927. 1,628,892

F. K. LEWIS ET AL TOP FOR VEHICLES AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 2, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS fFea/ K [aw/6 and By Char/ s EA/fimv @vf I ATTORNEYS Patented May 17 1.927. UNITED STATES FRED K. LEWIS. AND CHARLES R. ALLEN,

PATENT or or AsHTA'BU'LA, onto; Assrcnons TO THE ASHTABUELA BOW. SOCKET. COMPANY, OF ASHTABULAQOHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

Tor FOR VEHICLES .VA'ND. THE" BIKE},

Application filed November 2; 1921. Serial Nail-2,274;

The object of the present invention isto provide an arrangement of bows and sockets with appropriate linkage whereby the top of an automobile or other vehicle may be wholly supported from a single main standard or bow that in the normal open position of the top will incline in av rearward direction so as to leave the sides of the car; In such construction it is of course necessary that the operative parts be.

entirely: clear.

sists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims,

the annexed drawings and the following de-' scription settingforth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosedmeans constituting, however,but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a top-supporting structure or frame embodying our present' improvements, such top being shown as mounted 011 an automobile body or tonneau of conventional form and as being viewed from the inside; Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are views similar to Fig. 1, but showingvarious modifications in the construction of our improved typeyand Fig. 5. is a'broken view similar to that: of the preceding figures, showing still another modificationinconstruction.

It is of course a matter of indifference whether the top. used onanautomobile, motor boat, or otherwise, and, depending upon its longitudinal extent, a smaller or larger number of bows may be employed in the. forwardly extending or outrigger struc ture of present interest, asindicated by the several modifications in this respect that are illustrated in the drawings. It will also be understood thatthe-termbow is used here inclusively'. to designate, not merely the wooden bow proper,- but" also the metallic sockets or" equivalent members that carry the same, these parts, when regardedv in side elevation, constituting" theequivalent of the so-called sticks. in the all wooden bow type of construction. It is accordingly a matter of convenience to refer to" the parts inthe FICE.

singular, though the-structure lay in a;

single. vertical plane, since the parts of in:

terestdo actually.liesubstantially. in such a:

plane.

is of substantial construction in view of the weight 1t is thus designed to carry, is pivotally supported, or attachedto, the body of the vehicle in the usual manner, so that'it may be laiddown and supported in a substantially horizontal plane when the topfis not in use. Normally, in theextended' or open condition of the top, said main bow 2 As previously indicated,.the top cov ering lnis designed to be entirely supported; through an outrigger structure from as'ingle' 1na1n.,bow or. standard 2.' Thelatter, which inclinesrearwardly at an angle oflapproximately 45'degrees to the horizontal, being] held from rising higher by the top covering, or by special straps (not shown), or exten- 810115 of the longitudinal strainers, which,

as is well known, are used to connect the bows together and provide su porting means for the top covering .intermeiately between said bows. For the purpose in hand such straps or strainers do not require to be dis- -tinguished from, but maybe regarded as a part of the covering material.

; Referring firstto the Specific embodiment of my improved topillustrated in Fig. :1, the outrlgger structure will be seen to comprise a main articulated auxiliary bow, or, r

as it sometimes called, outrigger bow .6, the latter term referring more particularly to the outer portion or bow 7 proper, which is secured-by means of an arm 8 .(one on each side of course), pivotally attached to a I supplemental bow 9 carried by the main how 2. V This supplemental bow may be directly pivotally attached to-said main bow, as Shown in- Figs. 2, 3 and 4, or, as in:the case of; the specific construction shown in Fig.1, said supplemental bow may bejointed, i. e., attached through the medium of a short link 9 'to said'main bow. The joint between the two parts will in that event be a rule joint that locks in the extendedposition of the top. In'order tosustain said bow 9 insuch extended position of the top a link 10 connects the same at a point above the joint therein to a point onthe main bow or standard 2 above the-point of-pivotal attachment of said bow 9 to the-latter. Where a bow 9 is jointed as in the case of Fig. 1, link '10 may be a simplestra ightlink, but where the bow 9' is continuous "and directly pivoted on and such covering curves downwardly to the main bow 2 so as to similarly conceal the lower end of said supplemental bow 9 and the links 10 or 10*. The joint 11 between said arm 8 and the outrigger bow .7 proper is a rule joint disposed so as to prevent forward bending of the arm in question when extended in horizontal fashion, as in the open condition of the top illustrated in the 7 several figures.

Where the top is of considerable horizon tal extent, as in the case of a two-seated vehicle, the covering 1 is desirably given support intermediate of the supplemental bow 9 and outrigger how 7, by means of a second supplemental how 12 that is pivotally attached to swing arm 8, as shown in each of the several figures of the drawings. The operative connections between bows 9, 12 and 7 comprise a link 18 that connects said second supplemental bow 12 with outrigger how 7 forwardly of the joint 11 and another link 1 1 that connects bow 9 with said link 13.

The manner of operation of the two forms of my improved top as'illustrated in Figs.

' 1 and Qshould be readily. understood. In

other words, upon breaking the joint 11 downwardly the outrigger structure is caused to fold up,-bringing bows 9, 12 and 7 into parallel relation, as shown in the dotted outline of the stack against main bow 2. In addition, in the construction of Fig. 1, the joint in the supplemental how 9, by bending downwardly, lowers the position of such outrigger structure with respect to said main how so as to render said stack more compact. I

, The difference between the constructions shown in Figs. 1 and 2 has already been explained. In the case of Fig. 3 an articulated link 10 is employed, just as in Fig. 2, to connect supplemental bow 9 with main how 2. Instead, however, of a link 14 that simply connects said, supplemental how 9 with the forward link 13 of the pair operatively interconnecting the two supplemental bows and outrigger bow 7, a link 15is provided, the rear end 15 ofwhich projects beyond said bow 9 and is connected by .another link 16 with articulated link 10, the point of attachment of said link 16 with said last-mentioned link being preferably at the joint therein. The rearward extension 15 of link 15 acts as a lever arm to breakthe joint in articulated link 1O when the top is being folded, and at the same time serves to lock said articulated link in its extended link 17 just referred to will, in the open p0 sition of the top, lie disposed in substan t-ially vertical position, and the rear end of swing arm 8 in this construction is pivot} ally attachedto said link 1'2 instead of di rectly to supplemental bow 9. This permits of a shifting of the rear end of thespring arm, thus of the outrigger structure carried thereby relatively to said bow 9 whenthe top is collapsed, and thus assisting in the formation of a more compact stack? the same time the action of link 1'? will correspond with that of link 16 in the previously described construction, both in the folding of the top and in more securely locking the parts in the open position of the top. 7 v V In the remaining construction, that shown in Fig. 5, the articulated outrigger bow 7 proper, instead of being directly pivotally attached to the forward end of'swing arm 8, is connected therewith through the medium of a pair of links 20, 2O united by an upwardly bending rule joint 20 while the joint-s11 and 11", that unite the respective ends of said links 20 with the swing arm 8 and outrigger bow '7, bend downwardly just as joint rule 11 in the previously described constructions. The forward link 13 that is connected with supplemental bow 12 at its rear end is connected atits forward end with the rearmost of the two lin rs 20, the dispo sition and connections of link 1 1 being the same as in Figs. 1 and 2. In addition, a link 21 is employed to connect said supplemental how 12 with the outrigger bow 7 proper, beilng attached to the latter beyond the joint A further modification shown in consists in the joining integrallyof swing arm 8 with the'forward part of the articulated link 10 that connects-the supplemental how 9 with main bow 2. In other words, such forward member here becomes in effect a rearwardly extending section of the swing arm that acts directly as a lever ,in, breaking the joint with the other member of link 10 when the top is folded, and in holding such joint immovable in the open position of the top. I. 4 I

,Other modes of applying the principle of our invention maybe employed instead of I regards the mechanism herein disclosed, proof the fol vided the means stated by any 1 cut of. suci nected links connecting the outer portion of said auxiliary bow and sald two supplemental bows, plural interconnected links connecting said first-named supplemental bow with said support and adapted to sustain the same in inclined position relatively to said support when the top is open, and

means operatively connecting said two sets of interconnected links.

2. In a top for vehicles and the like, the combination of a main support attached to the top of the vehicle, a. supplemental bow pivotally attached to said support, an articulated auxiliary bowpivotally attached to said supplemental bow, a second supplemental bow pivotally attached to the rear portion of said auxiliary bow, plural interconnected links connecting the outer portion 04 said auxiliary bow and said two supplemental bows, plural interconnected links connecting said first-named supplemental bow with said support-and adapted to sustain the same in inclined position relatively to support when the top is open,and link and lever means operatively connecting said two.

sets of interconnected links.

3. In a top for vehicles and. the like, the combination of a main support attached to the body of the vehicle, a supplemental bow pivotally attached to said support, an articulated auxiliary bow pivotally attached to said supplemental how, a second supplemental bow pivotally attached to therear portion of said auxiliary bow, plural interconnected links connecting the outer portion of said auxiliary bow and said two supplemental bows, the rear-most of said links having a lever extension, plural interconnected links connecting'said first-named su plemental bow with said support and a apted to sustain the same in inclined position relatively to said support when'the top is open, and a link connecting the lever-extension of said first set of interconnected links with said last set of such links.

I 4. In a top for vehicles and the like, the combination of a main support attached to the body of the vehicle, a. supplemental bow ulated auxiliary bow pivotally attached to said supplemental bow, asecond supple: mental bowpivotall attached to the rear portion of said auxi iary bow, plural inter-' connected links connecting the outer portion of sald auxiliary bow and said two supplemental bows, the rear-most of said links having 'a'lever extension, plural interconnected "pivotally attached to said support, an articlinks connecting said first-named supple mental bow with said support and adapted to sustain the samein inclined position relatively to said support when the top is open, and a link connecting the'lever-extension of said first set of interconnected links with the point of interconnection between said last set ofsuch links.

5; In a vehicle top, the combination of a single rearwardly inclining main bow pivotally supported on the vehicle body, a supplemental bow carried by said main bow, the connection between such supplemental and main bows including plural links whereby said supplemental bow may besupported in a forwardlyinclined position or be folded up alongside said main bow, a foldable outrigger structure carried by said supplemental bow,and separate means pivotally connected to said outrigger structure for. causing the aforesaid links to fold up said supplemental bow when said outrigger structure is folded.

FRED K. LEWIS. CHARLES R. ALLEN.

Signed by us, this 31st day of October, 

